Kyiv metro in critical condition — outdated control system

A Kyiv city councillor has sounded the alarm over the state of the capital’s metro, warning that its infrastructure and safety monitoring systems have barely changed since Soviet times.

Taras Kozak, a member of the Kyiv City Council, made the statement on "Kyiv Time" on Monday.

Kyiv metro relies on "notebooks and flashlights" for safety checks

Councillor Taras Kozak, who serves on the Temporary Investigative Commission of the City Council, said parts of the underground network — including the section between Demiivska and Lybidska stations — are in critical condition.

He described the monitoring process as "archaic," saying inspectors still walk through tunnels with flashlights and record leaks by hand.

"The level of control over the tunnels is like something from the 18th century. Workers walk with flashlights and write in notebooks where they see leaks. The notebook goes to a supervisor, who checks it and writes in another notebook. In the 21st century — notebooks! When we have cameras and online monitoring tools. That shows the level of maintenance and safety in our metro," Kozak said.

The councillor added that the city must urgently introduce digital monitoring systems to ensure safety and prevent potential accidents in Kyiv’s aging metro infrastructure.

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